First baseman strains his right forearm while hitting off a tee

Associated Press

Published 8:57 pm, Tuesday, March 5, 2013

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mark Teixeira's stay with the U.S. team at the World Baseball Classic didn't last long.

The Yankees slugger strained his right forearm while taking some light swings off a tee in the batting cage Tuesday, forcing him to withdraw from the tournament even before the Americans could play the Chicago White Sox in the first of their two scheduled exhibition games.

X-rays were negative and an MRI revealed the strain, U.S. manager Joe Torre said. The Yankees said in a statement that Teixeira will be evaluated further Wednesday by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser.

"It wasn't something he wouldn't be doing (with the Yankees)," Torre said after the U.S. played to a 4-4 tie with the White Sox. "It was just a freak thing."

Torre said that there have already been conversations about who will replace Teixeira but no decisions have been made. The U.S. opens pool play Friday night against Mexico.

"I'm not throwing any names out," Torre said. "We certainly are looking to fill this spot as soon as possible, so you know I'll meet with my coaches. We'll try to figure it out."

Torre may not have been discussing options with reporters, but he did bring up White Sox slugger Paul Konerko with his manager, Robin Ventura. Konerko went 3-for- 3 and drove in a run against the U.S. team in their exhibition game at Camelback Ranch.

Torre said he couldn't say when the decision will be made because there are many factors, such as whether players are interested and their situation with their teams.

"We're just taking names," Torre said. "But again, Tex was a switch-hitter, which was ideal for us, and left-handed wise, we have a couple switch-hitters and (Joe) Mauer. Otherwise, we're pretty lopsided right-handed. So we're going to have to see what's the best bet for us."

Mets: Reliever Pedro Feliciano wore a heart monitor while pitching and reported no problems or discomfort during his first spring training outing. Feliciano was diagnosed last week with a rare genetic condition called left ventricular noncompaction. The condition results from the failure of myocardial development from birth. Feliciano threw one inning against the Miami Marlins in a "B" game, allowing one run — on Ben Lasater's home run — hit a batter and struck out one.

Red Sox: Left-hander Drake Britton was arrested in Fort Myers, Fla., for driving under the influence. Britton, 23, was arrested early Saturday morning. He was also charged with reckless driving and DUI with property damage. He posted bond later that day. His arrest report says Britton was speeding when a deputy tried to stop him for "numerous traffic violations." The report says Britton drove his car over a curb and knocked down a fence. He then drove over it before making a complete stop. The report says Britton admitted to the deputy he had been drinking. Britton was optioned to Double-A Portland in Maine during the team's first round of roster cuts. The club released a statement Tuesday saying they take the arrest "very seriously, and it is being addressed."

Angels: Albert Pujols hit a pair of groundouts and struck out in his first spring training appearance. The three-time MVP is recovering from off-season surgery on his right knee, About 10 days ahead of the schedule the Angels had anticipated, Pujols was the designated hitter and batted third.

MLB: The league intends to expand the use of instant replay for the 2014 season, and will be studying which calls to review and how to do it over the course of this year. Joe Torre, an MLB executive vice president, said Tuesday that league officials plan to examine camera angles and other factors that will help them develop a plan.